1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to testing a device and automated testing equipment (ATE). More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to determining coherent test conditions.
2. Related Art
Measurement of several characteristics of a device (e.g., an electronic device) is commonly performed by measuring the response of the device to an analog sinewave input. Examples of these characteristics include Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR), and Signal-to Noise and Distortion Ratio (SINAD).
This analysis of the device's response typically involves the use of the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) or variants of the DFT such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Chirp-Z Transform may be used due to their computational time advantages.
A measurement set-up configured to meet a coherency requirement provides an efficient manner of analyzing the device. Typically, laborious manual calculations are performed to determine the coherency test conditions, which are test conditions that meet the coherency requirement. Further, these calculations may lead to incorrect coherency test conditions that waste time and resources.
Conventional automated techniques for determining the coherency test conditions have several deficiencies. These conventional automated techniques are very limited. They impose limitations that limit or remove from consideration coherency test conditions that may actually be desired by the user. Further, these conventional automated techniques provide no flexibility in the coherency test conditions to conform to constraints submitted by the user. Moreover, they restrict the determination of the coherency test conditions to coherency test conditions that are useable only by specific instrument that generates or captures analog signals, preventing the user from using other instruments that generate or capture analog signals in the measurement set-up.